TY - UNPB
T1 - The effects of becoming a physician on prescription drug use and mental health treatment
AU - Anderson, D. Mark
AU - Diris, Ron
AU - Montizaan, Raymond
AU - Rees, Daniel I.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - There is evidence that physicians disproportionately suffer from substance use disorder and mental health problems. It is not clear, however, whether these phenomena are causal. We use data on Dutch medical school applicants to examine the effects of becoming a physician on prescription drug use and the receipt of treatment from a mental health facility. Leveraging variation from lottery outcomes that determine admission into medical schools, we find that becoming a physician increases the use of antidepressants, opioids, anxiolytics, and sedatives, especially for female physicians. Among female applicants towards the bottom of the GPA distribution, becoming a physician increases the likelihood of receiving treatment from a mental health facility.
AB - There is evidence that physicians disproportionately suffer from substance use disorder and mental health problems. It is not clear, however, whether these phenomena are causal. We use data on Dutch medical school applicants to examine the effects of becoming a physician on prescription drug use and the receipt of treatment from a mental health facility. Leveraging variation from lottery outcomes that determine admission into medical schools, we find that becoming a physician increases the use of antidepressants, opioids, anxiolytics, and sedatives, especially for female physicians. Among female applicants towards the bottom of the GPA distribution, becoming a physician increases the likelihood of receiving treatment from a mental health facility.
KW - prescription drug use
KW - opioids
KW - mental health treatment
KW - physicians
M3 - Discussion paper
T3 - IZA Discussion Paper Series
BT - The effects of becoming a physician on prescription drug use and mental health treatment
PB - IZA
CY - Bonn
ER -